Corruption of Ambition | Sejanus Plinth

Twenty Four

"Where's father?" Riyana asked, storming into Beatrice's room.

Beatrice sat on her bed with a couple of friends Riyana never bothered to learn the name of. One of the girls had a bottle of their father's whiskey to her lips when Riyana barged in and Beatrice quickly grabbed it and shoved it behind her back, brown droplets staining the cotton duvet. Riyana wanted to roll her eyes at the childness of it, why would she care if her and her friends were drinking?

"I don't know, get out." Beatrice replied, annoyed at the intrusion.

"He didn't tell you anything?" Riyana asked.

The two friends of Beatrice's beds shared a look. Beatrice gave her sister warning eyes. "No, he's probably at work. Get out."

Realizing there was no point in exhausting an empty source, Riyana took what she could and left. He likely would be at work, if Riyana wasn't so out of her mind that would have been her first assumption. She ran so quickly out of the front door that the heel of one of her loafers cracked and she simply took both shoes off and continued on.

On days like today, she regretted her lack of driving skills. The scorching sun baked the pebbles and broken gravel, searing her foot through her sock, yet she refused to slow her pace. Covered in sweat and gasping for air, she arrived at the hospital.

She made her way past the waiting area, ignoring the stares from patients' families. She stopped in front of the employees only entrance and realized she would not be able to make it through the door.

"Miss Riyana." A secretary eyed Riyana through her glasses.

Riyana wiped her forehead with the back of hand and panted. "I need to see my father."

The secretary checked something on the computer and looked back at her. "There's no meeting."

For a fleeting moment Riyana had the thought that when she took over her first decision would be to fire this secretary. Luckily an unexpecting nurse badged herself in and Riyana squeezed in behind her, heading straight to her fathers office.

Her father looked up from his paperwork and eyed his daughter.

"You must extend your congratulations to Coriolanus for me." He said, already turning his attention back towards his paperwork.

"Dad." She pleaded, her voice breaking.

He scribbled on the papers, ignoring her desperation.

"Let me go." She begged.

If it wasn't for his features twitching quickly she would have thought he had not heard her. He knew, he had to know it all, even if he wanted to act as if nothing would happen.

"I want to change my plans, please, you said I can go work at one of the hospitals, any of them I want to go to twelve."

He looked up and set his pen down. "Come here."

Riyana hesitantly walked over and stood a few feet away from him behind his desk. He pulled her forwards by the wrist causing her to stumble over her feet and barely catch herself. As the seconds past neither spoke and Riyana only grew more uncomfortable.

"You're not going to work in that hospital." He finally said, dropping her wrist from his firm grip.

"Dad." Her voice cracked.

"You're foolish."

"I love him."

He lips turned up and the look in his eyes caused her to shrink back. "You love him." He mocked. He grinned harder then shook his head, wiping away any signs of expression when doing so. "You don't love him."